Breaking the mold: Balloons at two N.J. festivals come in all shapes and sizes

On Jan. 1, 1991, Barry DiLibero rode in a hot air balloon for the first time. Three weeks and $10,000 later, he had a balloon in his garage and no idea how to fly it. He was 28.

More than two decades later, DiLibero has learned a few things about balloons -- including that they don't necessarily have to be round.

The Chester County, Pa., resident created two special-shaped balloons that will fly at the QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning this weekend: the PNC American Flag balloon and the red, white and blue QuickChek Flighthouse balloon.

"It's the coolest reaction you can imagine," DiLibero says of his patriotic balloons. "There's Democrats, Republicans and Independents and they fight like cats and dogs but all of them love these balloons."

The American Flag and Flighthouse balloons are two of the special-shaped balloons flying at two New Jersey festivals this month. The balloons come from as far away as South America and as close as Pennsylvania. Some are new while others are longtime favorites. Regardless of their shape and origin, each balloon has a story as distinct as the balloon itself.

For many balloons, their journey to the Jersey skies starts with a call from the QuickChek festival's executive producer, Howard Freeman. Freeman, who started the festival 32 years ago at a truck stop in western New Jersey, travels the world looking for special-shaped balloons.

This year, the QuickChek festival has eight special-shaped balloons including a hummingbird, a panda, a monkey, a monster, a football and an 85-foot-tall Angry Bird balloon.

Jewel the Hummingbird was manufactured at a factory in Brazil that Freeman has worked with in the past. Freeman has seen various designs for the 100-foot-tall bird during the past three years, and when the factory finally decided to create the balloon, Freeman knew he wanted it in the festival.

Other balloons are brought to Freeman's attention by pilots and festival directors. He first heard about the Super FMG balloon from the director of a festival outside Ottawa, and he met the pilot of the Angry Bird balloon at a festival in Mongolia.

Although the QuickChek festival is now in its 32nd year, it continues to evolve, Freeman says. A new addition this year is the Flying Fools comedy high diving show. The show features divers leaping from an 80-foot platform into a 10-foot-deep pool. During evening performances, the group's leader, Yves Milord, will light himself on fire before performing the feat. The divers will also help kick off the 5K race on Sunday morning: Instead of a starting gun, runners will take off when they hear Milord splash into the pool.

While the Angry Bird balloon is new this year, many festival-goers will recognize DiLibero's balloons from past years. DiLibero ordered the American Flag balloon a week after 9/11 and the balloon made its first flight on Flag Day 2002. It has flown in the festival ever since.

The Flighthouse balloon was created a few years later, in 2006. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the balloon began flying at the festival as a tribute to the region's recovery efforts.

The balloons' unusual shapes mean the manufacturer has to make sure the weight is distributed correctly in the design, DiLibero says. The American Flag balloon, for example, uses curtains tied together with Kevlar ropes to maintain the balloon's narrow shape and prevent it from bulging out.

"There aren't any special regulations for these balloons," DiLibero says. "But you sure better know your engineering when you put something together that's not a round balloon."

When flying the flag balloon, DiLibero says he has to remember that there is an extra 40 feet of balloon trailing behind him like a tail. When flying over power lines or trees, he has to make sure the whole balloon clears the obstacle before dropping back down. The Flighthouse balloon is less bulky to maneuver, but DiLibero has to choose carefully when picking out landing spots for the 115-foot-tall balloon.

The balloon was commissioned by American Movie Classics and called "Cuddles the She-Monster." It flew all over the country to promote "Monsterfest," a 1999 AMC horror movie celebration.

After the promotion was over, the balloon was stashed in a basement, where it stayed until Fred Grotenhuis bought it a few years later. Grotenhuis, known as "the balloonmeister," started the Hot Air Balloon Festival and flies the monster balloon with co-pilot Jim Duncan. When the balloon made its debut at the festival in 2010, Grotenhuis held a contest to rename the balloon and it has been known as Airhead Invader ever since.

"Kids love it," Grotenhuis says. "You get a great reaction from people."

The hardest part about flying the balloon, he says, is packing and transporting it. While a regular balloon weighs about 150 pounds, Airhead Invader weighs about 450 pounds, says Grotenhuis, who lives in Harmony.

The balloon can be a challenge to fly because of its unusual shape, says Duncan, who lives in Columbus, Burlington County. He adds that Airhead Invader's appendages make it react to the wind differently from traditional balloons, which sometimes makes the aerodynamics difficult to figure out.

Flying Airhead Invader may have its challenges, but for Grotenhuis the allure of balloons, regardless of their shape, is simple.

"They make everyone smile," he says.

Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning

The festival runs through Sunday at Solberg Airport, 39 Thor Solberg Road, Readington, and takes place rain or shine. Gates open at 1 p.m. Friday, and 6 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

America, 3 Doors Down and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts are headlining Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively. America and 3 Doors Down play at 8 p.m.; Jett takes the stage at 3 p.m. Hot Chelle Rae will also play Saturday at 1 p.m.

General admission tickets are $30 per day ($15 for children 4 to 12; children younger than 3 admitted free) and include lawn seating for concerts. VIP tickets -- including access to a tent with prime views of the balloon launches and reserved seats for the concerts -- are $55 to $125.

A 5K run will be held at 8 a.m. Sunday; a fun run follows at 9 a.m. Registration is $50 for the 5K ($40 for kids 4 to 12), $40 for the fun run ($30 for kids 4 to 12), and includes festival admission.

Hot air balloon rides are available each night and Saturday and Sunday morning. Morning flights leave at 6:30 a.m. and cost $225 per person. Evening flights leave at 6:30 p.m. and cost $250 per person.

The fair and festival run Saturday to Aug. 2. Admission is $7 ($4 for children 5 to 12, children 4 and younger admitted free).

Gates open at 11 a.m. daily except Aug. 2, when they will open at 8 a.m. Balloon flights ($195 per person) are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. every day. On many nights, the flights will take a competitive turn with balloon races and contests.

In addition to the balloon-related events, the fair will include traditional county fair activities, including a pie-eating contest, carnival rides and animal shows.

The festival is located at 1350 Strykers Road in Phillipsburg. Parking is free.